Krishna and visvarupa

[Guest guest]

This is with reference to the discussions that have been going on about

Krishna and viSvarUpadarSana in chapter 11.

 

Chapter 11 of the gItA can be taken as a graphic description of what has

been stated in Sloka 30 of chapter 13, which is as below:

 

yadA bhUtapRthagbhAvamekasthamanupaSyati |

 

tata eva ca vistAram brahma sampadyate tadA ||

 

" When one realizes that the state of diversity of all beings is rooted in

the One, and that their manifestation is also from That (One), then one

realizes his identity with brahman " .

 

The gist of this Sloka is that everything in this universe is only an

appearance of brahman and the substratum of the appearance is brahman. In

the viSvarUpa darSana Arjuna saw the whole universe on the body of Krishna

who is brahman himself. Thus what Arjuna got was the realization that

everything is brahman. As has been stated in some of the posts on this

subject, Arjuna was given jnAna chakshush which enabled him to realize the

ultimate truth. Of course Krishna took away this realization immediately

afterwards, as he did with Yasoda on two occasions. One day when Krishna was

drinking milk from Yasoda's breast he yawned and Yasoda saw the whole

universe in his mouth. This happened again when the other boys reported to

Yasoda that Krishna had eaten mud and Yasoda asked him to open his mouth and

show her. On both the occasions Yasoda got enlightenment that Krishna was

brahman, but Krishna immediately removed it and made her look upon him

again as her child alone.

 

As regards the point raised that even criminals and other undesirable

characters who lived during Krishna's time were able to see him while we of

the present day do not get that good fortune, what has to be noted is that

though they saw Krishna they looked upon him only as an ordinary human being

and not as the supreme Being. Only those who had devotion could recognize

him as paramAtmA. In our own time many people took Bhagavan Ramana for a mad

man and tormented him in his early years. So anybody can see an avatAra if

they happen to live at that time, but only a few who have acquired the

eligibility can recognise him as an avatAra. Krishna himself says this in

gItA 9.11: " Not knowing My supreme nature as the Lord of all beings, those

who are deluded (by mAyA) disregard Me who have taken a human body " . In the

next Sloka it is said that such people harbour vain hopes, perform actions

which are futile, their knowledge is useless, and they are possessed of the

character of demons and asuras. This verse itself explains why Duryodhana

who fell in this category, was not able to see the viSvarUpa.

 

S.N.Sastri

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Namaste Respected Shri Sastri-ji.

 

I am afraid that would make Enlightenment rather time-bound or even

reversible. Can we accept that?

 

These are dramatic situations where the message is important rather

than the incidents as such. If enlightenment was to be erased at all,

then what was the purpose of it in the first place?

 

I wouldn't also like to group Arjuna's and Yasoda's experiences in the

same class. While the former blossoms after considerable philosophical

teaching, the latter are isolated familial events. I don't, therefore,

know what to make of the latter.

 

About Bhaskarji's query why we are denied Krishna's darshan, I can only

say that the ways of the Lord are inscrutable. He knows where and when

to give what and to whom. As Advaitins, let us pray for the will to

accept His Will without qualms. If an asura or another unqualified

being (in our eyes) had the fortune of the Lord's darshan, then the

Lord only knows why. His judgement won't be wrong. Let us only see

how we can change our situation. I am sure if Bhaskarji prays

devotedly for darshan, the Lord won't disappoint him. I wish him best

of luck.

 

PraNAms.

 

Madathil Nair

______________

 

advaitin , " S.N. Sastri " <sn.sastri wrote:

> Thus what Arjuna got was the realization that

> everything is brahman. As has been stated in some of the posts on this

> subject, Arjuna was given jnAna chakshush which enabled him to

realize the

> ultimate truth. Of course Krishna took away this realization

immediately

> afterwards, as he did with Yasoda on two occasions. .....

 

>On both the occasions Yasoda got enlightenment that Krishna was

> brahman, but Krishna immediately removed it and made her look upon

him

> again as her child alone.